The Force Commander of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI), General Muhammad Iqbal Asi, said farewell to the UN Mission on Wednesday, 9 April 2014, in the presence of the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and head of UNOCI, Mrs Aïchatou Mindaoudou.



During a ceremony held in his honour at the headquarters of the UN Mission, the Special Representative highlighted the leadership quality, devotion and expertise of General Muhammad Iqbal Asi, which she said had greatly contributed to the implementation of the United Nations mandate to protect civilians. "Since my arrival in UNOCI, I have had the opportunity to work on a daily basis with UNOCI's Force Commander. I appreciate his leadership and his reassuring presence. Together, we took part in several military ceremonies throughout the country," said Mrs Mindaoudou.

The Special Representative said that the massive presence of distinguished guests at the General's farewell ceremony, was proof that the work accomplished by him and UNOCI's role in the consolidation of peace in Côte d'Ivoire were appreciated. She recalled the continued efforts made by General Iqbal Asi to strengthen the good relations between the Forces of UNOCI and Licorne and the Forces Républicaines de Côte d'Ivoire (FRCI).



For his part, General Iqbal Asi expressed his satisfaction at the positive evolution of the security situation in Côte d'Ivoire. « This success was made possible, thanks on the one hand to the diplomatic efforts of the Special Representative assisted by the components of the Mission and on the other hand by the activities of UNOCI's Force to protect civilians," he said. The Force Commander praised the professionalism and team spirit of UNOCI's Force. "Working in perfect harmony with the FRCI and Force Licorne, UNOCI's Force, through its professionalism, was able to achieve some success on the ground. I would like to take this opportunity therefore to urge our contingents to continue to work in this way. You honour the Mission and your respective countries," he added.



General Muhammad Iqbal Asi also praised the perfect collaboration between the three military Forces, which is illustrated by the holding of tripartite meetings regularly. « Each collaboration can be seen in the logistics and security support provided. This is something I am particularly satisfied with," he said. The outgoing Force Commander then urged the military to continue to show their quality, their professionalism and good conduct.



Turning to the forthcoming presidential election, he said that he had every hope they will contribute to a successful reconciliation process and the normalisation of the political climate in Côte d'Ivoire.



General Muhammad Iqbal Asi has held several important posts in his country. He was Director-General of the Security and Anti-terrorist Cell in Pakistan, Chief of Staff of an Pakistan Army Corps, Commander of several units and an instructor at the Pakistan Military School for Officers. He has a diploma from the Pakistan War College and the Superior Court of Defence in Bangladesh. He gained two Masters of Science degrees in Defence, Political Science and International Relations. He is married and has two children.